Mixing apparatus.



L. H. STURTEVANT.

MIXING APPARATUS.

. APPLICATION FILED OCT. I. I9I4. 1,159,607. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Sigi.

Qnemw L. H. STURTEVANT.

MIXING APPARATUS. APPLICATION man ocT.1. 1914'.

1,159,607".A Patented'Nov. 9, 1915.

3\ SHEETS-SHEET 2- L. H. STURTEVANI.

MIXING APPARATUS.

Arrucmou man 001.1. 1914.

1 1 59,607. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' mixer, the clods or tailings from the screen 'UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

LAURANCE H. STURT'EVANT, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO STURTEVANT MILL COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

MIXING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application led October 7, `i914. Serial No. 865,482.

T0 alli'whom t may concern Be it known that I, LAURANCE H. STUnTE-- VANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Mixing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved mixing apparatus more especially intended for mixing fertilizers, but which may be used for other purposes, if desired and by means of which the various ingredients may" be prepared, mixed and discharged. These results are effected in a most perfect manner by a combination of coperating machines, as will hereinafter appear, and the plant is made flexible so that by a few adjustments it may be made to serve several purposes. To these ends the improved apparatus, in its preferred form, comprises a breaking feeder located in a hopper into which the ingredients to be mixed are placed, and which breaking feeder will deliver the crushed material to a wellv or elevator boot from which it is taken by an elevator which delivers the material to a screen or separator', from which the line material is delivered to a hopper communicating with a rotating or separator being delivered to a crusher Vfrom whence they pass to the said elevator,

and thence back V'to the separator. After the fertilizer ingredients have been properly mixed they may be discharged from the mixer directly to any desiredpoint, as to a bin or hopper over weighing and bagging scales, or to a conveyer which will carry the same to a storage bin, 0r the mixed material may be delivered from the mixer to a second elevator whichwill discharge the same to any desired point.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of an apparatus embodying one form of the present invention, and Fig.2 is a side view of the same looking from the leftof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of an apparatus embodying another and somewhat simpler form of the invention, and Fig. 4 is 'a side view of the same looking from the left of Fig. 3. A

Referring to the drawings, l2 denotes a hopper into which the ingredients to be mixed, .and which are usually in ground or pulverized form, but kmore or less caked, or

in clods or lumps, are dumped. At or adjacent to the discharge mouth of the hopper 12 is located a rotating breaking feeder 13 which crushes the lumps or clods more or less, and deliversthe material in a regulated flow to a well or elevator boot 14 from whence it is taken by an elevator 15 which means for percussively jarring the same.

The fines or fine material from the separator 17 are delivered to a mixer hopper 18 where they are held awaiting the return of the tailings or clods which have been separated by the screen 17, and which tailings or clods pass through the spout 21 to a rotat.- ing pulverizer or clod breaker 22 which discharges through spout23 into the shaft of the elevator 15 and to the boot or well 14, whence it is again conveyed to the separator 17, and being now in finely pulverized condition will pass to the mixer hopper 18 where it rejoins the batch from which it was temporarily separated by the screen 17. The batch is now completely assembled in the mixer hopper, and sliding gate 33, with which the said mixer hopper is provided, is opened, and the entire batch passes into the closed rotating drum mixer 20 through spout 19, where it is thoroughly mixed together, so that the desired proportions of the different ingredients will be contained in the mixed material. The rotating mixer 2() will i preferably be of the well-known Sturtevant or Hunso type, and the pulverizer or clod breaker 2 2 will preferably be of the swinging hammer type, such, for example, as that shown by U. SwPatent No. 686,364.

When the materials havevbeen thoroughly mixed the mixer discharge gate is opened and the mixture passes through a spout or chute 24' located below the mixer and communicating with the boot or well of a second elevator 25 which discharges into an adjustable spout or chute 26 the position of which may be changed so as to deliver the material to any practicable point, as to a bin or hopper 27 placed above a weighing and sacking device 28, or to a conveyer 29 which will carry the same to a storage bin.

After mixed fertilizers have been stored for some time they frequently become more or less caked or hardened, so that it is de sirable that they should be broken up or pulverized, but they do not require further mixing. In such case the apparatus above described may be used for this purpose, and to this end the mixer hopper 18 preferably communicates with a discharge spout 30 through an opening closed by a hinged gate 31 operated bya handle 32, said gate being closed during the mixing operation but being opened when it is desired to discharge the material directly from the mixer hopper 18 to the elevator 25 which discharges to the sacking and weighing bin 27 or the conyeyer 29. The sliding gate 33 by which the passage from the mixer hopper 18 may be closed, will be open during the mixing op eration, but will be closed when it is desired to out off communication between the said hopper 18 and the mixer 20, so as to hold the material in the mixer hopper until an entire batch of material has been passed through the separator and is in proper condition to be mixed. As a convenient means for opening and closing said gate the latter may be provided with a rack 3l with which meshes a pinion 35 operated by a hand wheel 36. Y

In order that the flexible or adjustable spout 26. may be readily adjusted to diderent positions, so as to discharge into the hopper or bin 27, or to the conveyer 29, it

is preferably provided with a swivel mount- .ing

as shown 1n Fig. 1, which permits said spout to be turned about horizontally to any desired position.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and l the second elevator 25 is omitted., and the mixed material may be discharged from the mixer 20 through the mixer discharge spout 24 directly into .the bin 'or hop per 27, or it may be discharged from the mixer hopper y18 through an adjustable spout 37 either into the said binvor hopper 27, or

to the endless conveyer Tothis end the said spout 37 will preferably be provided with a swiveled connection with its support, like that of the spout 26, so that it may be turned to different positions.

In the operation of the apparatus the rotating feeding breaker 13 will, to a considerable extent, prevent dust from escaping from the shaft of the elevator 15, in that the discharge mouth of the hopper 12 will usually be closed by the entering material and by the said breaker, the latter tending to cause an inward draft, so as to diminish the discharge of dust from theJ shaft ofthe elevator 15. The shafts'of the elevators 15 and 2 5 will preferably be made tight and dustand of sheet steel, and as the casing proof,

separator 17 and the other parts or vspouts through which the material must pass will also preferably be made dust tight, it

erated so that there will be little or vno dust, Y,

which, as will readily be understood, is very desirable. This mixing unit insures the de-:

livery o f all the ingredients, of which the batch consists, to the mixer at the same time, thus keeping each lbatch absolutely separate'from the others, which is of prime importance, in fact, the only method which can give correct results. This is achieved by the special arrangement of the cooperating machines or parts of the improved mixing apparatus and their rapid and thorough cooperating action of each machine, so that the entire plant operates as a unit.

Another feature of great importance off the improved apparatus is its flexibility, for by simply closing and opening one or two gates and the shifting of a flexible or adjustable spout the following results may be accomplished in a fertilizer mixing plant: 1st. To rapidly mix, weigh, bag and make ready to ship complete fertilizersas a continuousv process. 2nd. To mix and carry fertilizers to `storage until chemical' action ceases. 3rd. To remix,- remill, weigh, bag and make ready to ship stored fertilizers. 4th. To remill, screen and make ready to ship aged or stored fertilizers without further mixing.

The invention is not to be understood as being limited tothe details of construction herein shown and described, as these may vary widely, within the province of mechanical skill, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention I -claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with a hopper for` the reception of material to be mixed, of acrushing feeder adjacent the an elevator to` which the material is delivered by said crushing feeder,'a separator to 4which the said elevator discharges, a mixer communicating with said separator, a clod breaker for crushing the tailings or clods discharged'from said separator, and means for delivering the mixed material to a receptacle or conveyer.

2. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with a hopper for receiving the materials to be mixed, means for feeding the said materials from said hopper, an elevator to which livery spout or passage to said mixer, a second' delivery spoutA from said hopper, a clod breaker for crushing the tailings or clods discharged from saidseparator, and a spout for delivering the mixed material when the discharge mouth of said hopper,

which may be opened to enable the material to be delivered to the said mixer, or, when the gate to the mixer is closed, to deliver the material through said second delivery spout.

3. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with a hopper for the reception of material to be mixed, of a c rushing feeder adjacent the discharge mouth of said hopper, an elevator to which the material is delivered by said crushing feeder, a separator to which the said elevator discharges, a mixer communicating with said separator, a clod breaker for crushing the tailings or clods discharged from said separator, a second elevator to which the material may be delivered from said mixer, and means for finally delivering the mixed material 'to a receptacle or conveyer.

4. Ina mixing apparatus, the combination with a hopper for receiving the materials to be mixed, means for feeding the saidmaterials from said hopper, an elevator to which said materials 'are delivered by said feeding means, a separator lto which said' elevator discharges, a mixer hopper below said separator, a mixer withwhich said hopper may be placed in communication through a delivery spout or passage to said mixer, a second delivery spout from'said hopper, a clod breaker for crushing the tailings or clods discharged from said separator,

a spout for delivering, the mixed material4 when the same 1s dlscharged from said' mixer, a second elevator towhich the material may be delivered' by said last-named spout, said mixer hopper being provided with gates which may be opened to enable the material to be delivered to theA said mixer, or, lwhen the gate to the mixer is closed, to deliver the material through said second delivery spout, andmeans for finally delivering the mixed material to' a receptacle or conveyer.

5. In a mixing apparatus, the combination of a supply hopper, a crushing feeder adjacent the discharge mouth of said hopper, an elevator, a separator to which material from said feeder is ldelivered by said elevator, a mixer hopper to which the in'e materialis delivered from said separator, a pulverizer to which the tailings from said separator are delivered, said hopper and mixer, and which gate be opened when desired, so that all of the. ingredients of a batch delivered to the ap;

paratus may be mixed at the same time, and means for discharging the completed mixture from the mixing apparatus. y l

6. In a mixing apparatus, the combination of an elevator, a separator to which malterial is delivered by said elevator, and a mixer to which the tailings from said separator are delivered, these parts being 4all closed, so as to be dust-proof and having closed or dust-proof connections.

7. In a mixing apparatus, the combination of an elevator, means for feeding materials to said elevator, a separator to which material may be delivered by said elevator, a mixer, and means for delivering the material from said separator to said mixer, these parts being all closed so .as to be dust-proof and having closed or dust-proof connections.

8. In a mixing apparatus, the combination of an elevator, a separator to which material is delivered by said elevator, a pulverizer for reducing the tailings from said separator, and a mixer to which the materials from `said separator and pulverizer are eventually all delivered, these parts being all closed so tually all delivered, these parts being all closed so as to be dust-proof and having closed or dust-proof connections.

l0. In fa mixingapparatus, the combination of a supply hopper, a breaking feeder adjacent the discharge mouth of said hopper, an elevator, va separator to which material is delivered by said elevator, a mixer to which the materials are delivered from said separator, a pulverizer for reducing the tailings from said separator, and an adjustable chute or spout arranged to divert discharged material in one or more directions. 1 11. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with an elevator, a separator to which material is delivered by said elevator, a mixer hopper into which the ne materials from said separator are delivered, a mixer to which the ingredients to be mixed are delivered from said mixer hopper, a discharge spout leading from said mixer hopper to a point outside of said mixer, a gate for opening or closing the entrance to said spout, and a gate between said hopper and said mixer; whereby the materials may be made to pass a mixer, a gate betweerblfrom said mixer hopper through the said LAURANCE H. STURTEVANT.

Witnesses :j

W. I-I.ELI`.IS, F. B. HEGKER. 

